Thumb-tack tool



G. AND w. w. GILLESPIE. 'THUMB TACK TOOL.

APPLICATION FILE5D MAR. 22. 1929.

1,369,420. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

GEORGE GILLESPIE AND' WILLIAM W. GILLESPIE, OF WEST VIEW, PENNSYLVANIA.

THUMiB-TACK TOOL.

Specification of Letters vPatent.

" Patented Feb. V22, 1921.

Application led. March 22,- 1920: Serial No. 367,944`

To. all whom t may concern Be it known that. we,I GEORGE GILLEsriE and W'ILLIAM NV. G1LLEsrIn,.residing at' West View, in the county oi- Allegheny and i State of Pennsylvania,` bothcitizensk of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new` and useful Improvements in Thumb-Tack Tools, of which improvements theyfollowing is a specification.

Our invention consists in a tool for carryl ing, applying, and removing thumb tacks. lt is illustrated in the' accompanying drawln ,Ss i

- ligure 1 is a view of the toolin longitudinal medial section; Fig. Eis a view in plan, the top wall being, for the greater part of its, length=,brokenv away; Figs. 3 and 4 areviews in plan; and to larger scale, showing a portion of the tool. In; these twofigures also the top wall is in part, broken away, to more.. clearly illustrate inV lits alternate positions the feed valve., Fig.

5 is a: view iny transverse section, and vto somewhat greater lscale still than Figs. 3 and 4. The plane vofV section is indicated at V-V, Fig. 4.

As a container and carrierrthe tool consistsY essentially of an elongate barrel l, of

suitable; width and. depth to receivev a thumbv tack, within whichis a slotted web 2. The arrangement of thet'humbtacks withiny this container or carrier will be. perceived at` a glance.` aty the drawings. The thumb tacks may,y as will presently more clearly appear, .be introduced at the front or working end,

the/endV which terminatesin holder 3, or they may befintroduced at the rear end,xand with the' latteralternativein mindthe ,rearv end Vis shown torbe closed with a hinged cap 10 which may at will be swung'to open` posin tion.

As an instrument for applyingy thumb tacks, the tool includes essentially a biur cated holder 3, between the furcations of whichV the thumb tack to be applied isheld,

. andl an overhanging flexible` member V4,

which aids in bringing the thumb tack to position in the holder, and prevents falling oi a thumb tack from the tool when brought to position, and through which the pressure 'of thel thumb of the user .may be exerted, to

drive the tack tovplace.

As an instrument for removing thumb tacks, theV tool is essentially a claw, consisting of the bifurcated tack-engaging member 3, the fulcrum 'heel 5, and the handle 1.

c These functions of the toolin its several.` aspects are accomplished in the following manner :The magazine 1 becomes the 4handle of thev tool when used in applicationor removal of a thumb tack g. the member 4 which guides, a thumb tack to` be applied to position betweenthe furcations of holder 3 and retains it there and which` then serves asak `iexiblemember through which the pressure of the thumb of.` the user mayy be exerted, to Y drive4 the tack, 1s. convenientlyv a prolonga-l tion of the upper wall of thecontainer l;

and the. same vbifurcated member 3 serves both as, the holder of a tack to be, driven andl as the claw by vwhich aA driven tack is engaged when it. is to beremoved. It. is.

structurally integral withthe container, and

thumb tack. This. flexibility may beglocal- 1 ized, if preferred, mainly infoneot the two 'iurcationsgy and provision to bring such a localization about is Vindicatedin F ig., 2 of the drawings in the hinge 6. which itwill be understood is springbacked.

lt remains toV explain vthe valve yor gate through which thumb tacksy are fed. one'lby vone, at the will oi the user, from or to the magazine. Across the body of the-tool, and

, at the base ofv the bifurcated member 31 (which, conveniently,` is asolid casting) andv l adjacent the end of the magaziney chamber, is formed aslideway for a block 7. This block 7. occupies the` lower portion 'of ythe tool.. `A lweb-like portion of member 3 exj tends above this block: 7 (asjis'best indicated'in Fig. l), and through this web extends, as already explained, the slot which forms a continuation of the Slot in web 2.

Across block y7 in oblique directionextends a slot which, in the opposite positions of the block shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is continuous with the longitudinal slot through web 2 and member '3, first on one side (the magazine side) and then von the other sidev (the delivery side). Normally block 7 is rey. tained at one end of its slideway (the positheir very shape so'spacedwthin the magtion say lof communication with the magazine-it manifestly might be eitherposition) by a spring 8, and it is shifted to its opposite position against spring tension, by pressure upon a knob 9.

Operation is simple. magazine contains one or more thumb tacks and thata thumb tack is to be applied. The

l instrumentis inclined so thatthe contents of themagazine slide along the slot in web 2, toward gate member 7. The contents of the magazine come to rest with the shank of the advance tack a, extending 'ust within theoblique slot in member 7. he superposition of longitudinal Vand Voblique slots brings the tack to rest at this point, asis clearly indicated in Fig. 3. It should here be observed that the thumb vtacks are by Y azine thattheir shanks, which extend "through lthe slot in web 2, are separated at Vber'7.

minimum intervals equal approximately to half the diameter of the heads. Accord- -ingly,fthe shanks of two tacks cannoty come at one time into the oblique slot in mem- 2 'When the contents of the magazine have V*bring the shank ofthe tack beyond theV narbeen brought `to this position, block 7 is shifted, by pressure on knob 9. vTheparts thenv assume the position shown in Fig. 4, and it willbe observed that the thumb tack a has, by the shifting of the slide (its'shankA extending through both the longitudinal slot in member 3-the web portion thereof,

above block 7-and into the'oblique slot in Y block' 7), been carried to the opposite side of the slide, whence it advancesl freely along the slot toward the freeend of member 3.

Caught lightly in the narrow throat Vin the slot in member 3, in the position indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2, the tack is applied at the `proper point over a drawing board, and

then the one who is using the tool applies it, by pressing down upon member 4:. The

[tool is then easily drawn away, the flexible vbifurcated member 3 opening sufficiently to allowthe shank ofthe thumb tack to escape. Thereafter, if need be the tack may be driven further to place. Y

To remove a tack, the tool is applied as aj claw, theV bifurcations of member 3 'wedging under the head of the tack and raising it. A slight forwardthrust of the tool will then row place in the claw, and to the position indicated in Fig.- 2. Meanwhile, a certainV leverage exerted by'turning the tool on its clined with its magazine end downward, and

heel 5 (which rests on the drawing board) will have released the tack, so that it comes away with the tool. The tool isthen inthe block 7 is shifted inward; the tack then comes to the position indicated at a, Fig. 4.

Suppose that the l. A thumb-tack tool including i its structure a magazine vmember and a bifurcated positioning member adapted to Vengage the shankbf a tack when being applied and removed', the furcations of said positioning membery beinlgl flexible Vone with respect tof the other, w e Y normally less than the thickness of the shank reby a space between them of the tack may widen, and the space .between the furcations being in communlcation with the magazine member, Asubstantially as described.y Y v 2. A thumb-tack' tool including in its structure a bifurcated positioning member adapted to engage the shank of a tack when being applied and removed whose furca-f tions are flexible one with respect toV the other, whereby the space between them normally less than the thickness of the shank of the tack may widen, and a fiexible plate overhanging said'positioning member, substantially as described.

3. A thumbp'tack tool including in its structure a magazine chamber a slottedweb extending throughoutsaid chamber, a biifurcated positioning member, the space between whose bifurcations is continuous with the slot 'in the said web, and a gate member Y underlying lsaid slotted web at a point adjacent said lpositioning lmember and Vitself provided with a slot angularly disposed when the partsare'assembled with respect to the slot in the web above,s'aid gate membei'l movable transversely ,of said web and in 4the range of such transverse movement bringing successive portions of thev slot formed in it into alinementfwith the slot in the web above.

4. A thumb tack tool including in its structure a magazine chamber, a slotted web extending throughout said chamber and prolonged'at one end beyond said chamber toV lconstitute av bifurcated posltioninggmember, and a gate' member lunderlying said slotted web and itself provided with a slot angularly disposed when the parts; are assembled with respect to the slot in the web above, said gate movable transversely-of said web, and in the range of such transverse movement bringing successive jportions of the' slot formed in it into alinementwith the slot in the web above. v

a surrounding casing undi 'an internal slotted web, a bifurcated positioning member formed integral With said web vamd aiY iexible plate overharliging said bifurcated positioning member` and formed integralV With said casing, substantially asdesoribed.

AIn testimonyV whereof We have hell'eunto A set our hands;`

GEORGE GILLESPIE. 'l Y W. GILLESPlE. v.Witnesss:

BAYARD H; CHRIrs'iY, lFRANCIS J. 'ToMAssoN, 

